Permanent
by Emmeline Bondurant
Summary: It was difficult for him to think of them as permanent.


It was very difficult for Draco to think of his relationship with Harry as permanent. Even with those beautiful familial bands around their ring fingers, showing the world that they were spoken for, it was a hardship.

After everything they had been through, everything that he had done, Harry chose to love him unconditionally. He chose to forgive and yet Draco still felt the need to prove himself deserving; because that was what he felt - unworthy.

While it may have been something that he himself thought, Harry always made it quite clear that truly, deep down Draco really only needed to prove things to himself.

Somehow he had been so fortunate and blessed to have been given something so perfect out of the war, even after all of his choices; and when asked about it Harry would just simply say, "You saw me." Draco would always go quiet at the words, because he had.

"Yes, it is true that our choices define us, but it is also true that our actions show our character." Harry had once said when Draco hesitated to accept his proposal, "You have a beautiful soul Draco Malfoy and this.." He ran his thin fingers over the black marking on Draco's left arm, "was one insignificant thing. This..." He splayed his hand over Draco's heart, "is everything that you are and it is magnificent."

After the war, he had stood by in silent support as Draco faced the repercussions of his choices. Harry was there through the trial, there through his fathers execution, there through his mothers grief, there through his own probation.

He watched as Draco took on the brunt of the Malfoy name, now the patriarch of the family even at such a young age. Though at the time, they were little more than acquaintances, he was always there.

When their world smoothed itself over and rebuilt, Harry had found him. It was slow, so very slow at the start. Draco was hard pressed to allow anyone into his fortified walls, having lost so much and not wishing to set himself up for more disappointment.

Allowing Harry in had taken every ounce of will power that he held and even then Draco stayed resigned, counting down the moments until it was all ripped away.

It never was. Days flowed into months, which turned over into years. Light began to fill even the darkest corners of his mind and Harry was so wonderfully to blame.

What began as a tentative friendship soon melded into that of lovers, as easy as water slipped around rocks in a river bed. A short amount of time passed thereafter until the day when Harry asked for his hand and even with the minute hesitation, they were wed.

Draco was quite suddenly brought out of his thoughts as Harry shifted to fit against his tense shoulders. His eyes were alight with something very akin to anger as he stared down the woman in front of them. It was then that Draco remembered just what had triggered his flashback.

 _I think we all deserve to know exactly how an unworthy scum worshiping son of a bitch like you was able to steal Harry away from us._

His face was empty of emotion and he could not bring himself to look anyone in the eyes. Those familiar thin fingers slotted together easily with his own and he squeezed against them gently.

From beside them, his mother-in-law stepped forward with her eyes glued to her daughter. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, you will apologize this instance or I will remove you from this home." Ginny eyed her mother with a slightly widened gaze even while the scowl on her lips pinched her face.

"There is nothing for me to apologize for, I am just saying what everyone has been thinking for years." Her glare narrowed in on Draco again as he failed to react to her words. "We have all been wondering what this git has done to take Harry away from this family."

Harry's frown deepened as the fingers in his grasp became slack and he tightened his hold, "How dare you!" The room was still stunned in a horrifying silence as the youngest Weasley took a staggering step forward.

Ginny cackled a laugh full of malice, "It is a perfectly legitimate question Harry. That... _thing_...has managed to pull on every last one of your nerves for the last ten years and I'll be damned if he has not bewitched you."

Before Molly was able to blow another fuse, demanding apology from her disrespectful daughter, Arthur stood from his seat on the couch. "Ginny..." He pointed to the fireplace, "Get out of my house." His daughter's eyes locked on his own and when she did not immediately move towards the exit he shouted, "Get out!"

Draco felt as if he would be swallowed by the re-opened wounds that her words had caused. "No, please, she is your family. I should be the one to leave." Even as he moved to release Harry's hand, his husband refused to let go.

Molly stepped close to the two of them and caught Draco's sorrowful gaze, "My family is standing right in front of me. Anyone who disrespects one of my children is not permitted to be in our home." She then turned her gaze to her daughter, whose eyes were filling with tears as she began to realize which can of worms she opened. "Leave."

With only one last regretful look towards Harry, Ginny took three gaping steps and disappeared through the floo. As the green flames faded, the room was filled with a tense silence before everyone began to move, trying to act as if nothing had occurred. Molly embraced Draco for a quick moment before she nodded and made her way back into the kitchen.

The candles that lined the beautiful but forgotten cake that Molly had made finally flamed out as little wax pools covered the frosting. Draco stared blankly at the scripted words as his eyes began to burn with tears; _Happy Anniversary, Harry and Draco!_

He was immediately encased in Harry's arms as he hunched over into his husbands chest. Tears slipped from his eyes as he held to him. All of his deepest fears had been thrown out into the open so quickly that he had not been able to catch up and now Harry as well as his family had once again shone him just how much they cared.

Harry leaned back, easily taking Draco's face in his hands. He wiped away the tears that had fallen and smiled gently. "I love you, Draco Malfoy." His words brought a soft but watery smile to Draco's face and Harry slanted their lips together.

By the time that Harry released him for breath, Draco was just a tad light headed. He looked down into those vibrant eyes that Harry had been blessed with and gently touched their foreheads together, "How can you and your family so easily choose me...over her?"

That careless smile that made his knees weak lit up Harry's eyes as he settled himself once more in Draco's arms, "It is truly so much easier to deal with you, who I am married to and can make mad love to anytime I want than to try to force myself to smile at the jokes of a little girl."

Draco gave a very Potter-ish snort, something that he had learned from his husband early on, "I'm going to smack you."

Harry smirked with a wicked look, "I promise I'll try not to like it." The answering laugh was worth the words and his smile returned as he watched Draco wipe tears of sudden laughter from his eyes. "I love you more than I can even think of words to describe. You are my everything Draco, my beautiful, strong, magnificent everything."

"I love you too." Though the words were short and not as flashy or drawn out, Harry's answering grin let Draco know that he had achieved another step towards deserving him. It was still terribly hard to think of, but today with three years under their belt, it was beginning to feel permanent.

::

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!


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